BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
President Barack Obama announced on Friday some changes to his birth control policy. Now insurance companies will have to provide free contraception; essentially, taking the responsibility from faith-based employers.
However, several area Catholics say that these changes don't make them feel any better.
"A woman's health should not depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes," said President Obama.
Now, women who work for faith-based companies don't have to go through their employers to get contraception because insurance providers are mandated to give it to them for free.
"Hospitals would not have to fund, but our insurance company would? So, therefore, when we pay our insurance premiums we're covering contraception," said Aimee Marlborough.
"Now it's telling the catholic church that we will defile not only the sacredness of marriage and life, but you will pay for others to defile that sacrament," said Richard Mahoney.
While President Obama says the change was meant to protect religious freedom, many Catholics feel this will still infringe on their beliefs.
"It's taking away my basic human rights and the basic human rights of the unborn. If you take away the rights of the unborn, how is this America anymore? We're gonna live in a communist country," said Marlborough.
Area Catholics are not the only ones upset with this policy change.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana spokesperson John Maginnis released this statement following the president's announcement:
We are a mutual company, owned by our members. We believe, and have always believed, that it is the right and responsibility of the business we serve to choose the benefits they offer to their employees, and that this should not be determined by a government mandate.
With strong opposition from clergy, church members and some insurers, this may not be the last change we see on the contraception policy.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released the following statement Friday after President Barack Obama's announcement:
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sees initial opportunities in preserving the principle of religious freedom after President Obama's announcement today. But the Conference continues to express concerns. "While there may ben an openness to respond to some of our concerns, we reserve judgement on the details until we have them," said Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of USCCB.
"The past three weeks have witnessed a remarkable unity of Americans from all religions or none at all worried about the erosion of religious freedom and governmental intrusion into issues of faith and morals," he said.
"Today's decision to revise how individuals obtain services that are morally objectionable to religious entities and people of faith is a first step in the right direction," Cardinal-designate Dolan said. "We hope to work with the Administration to guarantee that Americans' consciences and our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations."
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